


Family Portrait

by sanctuary_for_all



Series: Partners [59]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Family, Family Feels, Family Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-16
Updated: 2018-05-16
Packaged: 2019-05-07 17:28:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14675949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanctuary_for_all/pseuds/sanctuary_for_all
Summary: “We were supposed to draw our families, and I didn’t want to forget anybody.”





	Family Portrait

**Author's Note:**

> For all of the people who requested Brandon fluff. I've lost all ability to judge whether I write these things well or not, but I will say that this feels like a fitting story to be the 50th in the series.

Ever since Jerry had taken on a more official role with the team, Adam had become the official 5-0 daytime caregiver. This worked out well for everyone, because 1) he already loved them and 2) had the skills to defend them with extreme prejudice if some bad guy was stupid enough to try and go after them. 

Since Kalea's birth had officially made him a full-on stay-at-home dad, however, the rest of the team picked up the kids sometimes to spare him having to constantly do the car seat dance.

Today, Danny and Steve had volunteered to be the ones to pick up the kids. It was the last school day before Mother's Day, the first Brandon had spent in school, and they wanted to be there in case he needed to talk about anything. Danny was sure his teacher would do everything she could – Ms. Palakiko was really good at her job, even though she still looked like she should be going to class over at the high school – but if their kid was hurting they weren't about to assume someone else would handle it.

When they got to the school, though, there was a distinct lack of any 5-0 children waiting outside. Danny checked his phone for messages as they both got out of the car, possible scenarios already unspooling in his head. Brandon was still inside crying, and Ailani and Noah were there trying to comfort him. Brandon had somehow slipped out of the school _completely_ to avoid the Mother's Day talk, and had somehow talked Ailani and Noah into coming with—

Steve squeezed his shoulder. "They're fine, Danny," he said quietly, reassurance in every word. "One of them is probably just busy with something in class, and the other two are waiting inside with them."

As if she'd been waiting for her cue, a little girl Danny recognized from Brandon’s class came down the stairs towards them. “Mr. Williams! Mr. McGarrett! Brandon said I should tell you not to worry, he’s just inside finishing his picture. Noah and Lani are in there helping him.” She paused, thinking hard about something. “He’ll probably still have to finish it at home, though. It’s a _big_ picture.”

She hurried off towards whoever was waiting for her, leaving Danny and Steve to head inside and get a look at this picture of Brandon’s. Danny thought about the sizes of the projects Grace used to bring home from school, none of which were much bigger than a poster, and tried to figure out why this one was taking extra time. Normally, he didn’t worry about his pictures being perfect, but maybe if it was for his mom….

When they got inside, Ms. Palakiko met them at the door. “Sorry they weren’t outside,” she told them. “But Brandon knew you were coming to pick him up today, and he really wanted to try and finish as much of it as he could before you saw it.”

Danny looked past her to see Brandon, Ailani and Noah all stretched out on the floor, coloring a piece of paper that was… almost as tall as they were. “That _is_ a big picture,” Danny murmured to himself.

“Brandon’s hardly the only student in the class who doesn’t have a mother at home, so I told the kids that holidays like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day were really just a celebration of families in all their forms,” Ms. Palakiko explained. “Then I had them draw their families to take home.” She gestured to the picture with a smile. “As you can see, Brandon took the assignment _very_ seriously.”

At that, Brandon finally seemed to realize they were in the room and looked up. “Danno! Daddy!” He jumped up, hurrying forward to grab their hands and pull them toward the picture. “Come see the family portrait I’m making you!”

Helpless as always in the face of his children, Danny let himself be pulled toward what looked like several sheets of colored paper that had been taped together. He could recognize their little family right in the very center, he and Steve and Grace and Brandon all in what looked like a big group hug, but they were surrounded on all sides by other smaller family units lovingly rendered in crayon. Ailani was finishing up Lou’s family, while Noah was busy giving both he and his sister what looked like jet packs in Chin’s family portrait. Both of them waved as they came closer. “Hi, Uncle Steve. Uncle Danny,” Ailani said. “Sorry we weren’t outside.”

“Want me to give you guys jet packs?” Noah added. “I’ve got to do Aunt Kono’s gun first, but then I can give you guys jet packs.”

“You’ve also got to give Uncle Adam his ‘#1 Babysitter’ t-shirt,” Ailani added. “But then you can do it.”

“No, it’s okay,” Steve told them, his own voice sounding suspiciously rough with emotion as he surveyed the pictures. “You really got everybody, didn’t you, buddy?” he asked, turning to Brandon. “The whole ohana.”

“I had to,” Brandon said simply, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Ms. Palakiko said we were supposed to draw our families, and I didn’t want to forget anybody.”

Danny crouched down, chest tight as he took in the spread of people Brandon had included. “I think she just meant the people who live in your house with you, Tracker.”

Brandon frowned. “That’s dumb. Grace doesn’t live in our house with us all the time, but she’s still my family all the time.”

Steve smiled a little. “He’s got you there, Danny.”

“You’re right.” Humbled, Danny laid a hand on his son’s shoulder. “How about you show us around this thing, huh?”

Brandon’s sunny smile immediately returned. “That’s us, along with Grace.” He leaned forward to touch the center picture. “She has a phone in her hand so she can call her mom whenever she wants. Her mom can’t be in the picture, because she made you sad, but it wouldn’t be fair if Grace couldn’t still talk to her.” Danny’s throat tightened as he continued.  “This is Uncle Chin, Aunt Malia, Aunt Kono, Uncle Adam, Uncle Lou, Aunt Renee, and all the cousins with the right families,” he said, touching the individual pictures. “Aunt Tani and Uncle Junior are over here sharing a square, but if they want their own squares I can do that. Next to them we have Aunt Bridget and Aunt Stella with their families, Grandma and Grandpa Danno, and Uncle Matt.” He paused. “Charlie’s over with Uncle Matt, because I didn’t know where else to put him. I thought Uncle Matt could use Charlie’s phone to call us when Charlie’s done talking to his mom.”

Danny’s eyes were stinging now. “That’s a really good idea, Tracker.”

Brandon’s smile widened as he looked over at Steve. “Aunt Mary and Joan are right here, and over next to them is the paper with Uncle Mac and Uncle Jack because they’re both in California.” He hesitated, then walked over to the one piece of paper taped over at the far end of the group. “I didn’t feel I could leave Grandma Daddy off completely, but I put her over here because she makes you sad and Danno shout at things. Uncle Joe is over here visiting her, but if you want I can take her off completely and put Uncle Joe on one of the other squares.” He walked over to Steve, taking his hand. “I know she helped make you, but you’re more important.”

Steve looked like he was moments away from bursting into tears, and Danny was feeling pretty damn emotional himself. “It’s okay.” Steve crouched down as well, wrapping his arms around Brandon in a fierce hug. “It’s good that you put her on there.”

Brandon hugged him back, hard, then pulled away and walked over to another piece of paper. “Aunt Deb is over here with Leonard, Grandpa Daddy, Great-grandpa Daddy and Great-Grandma Danno, because they’re all together in heaven.” He pointed at the image in the corner of that particular picture, and Danny’s throat tightened even more when he realized it was a picture of a gravestone covered in flowers. “My mom’s there, too, because she’s their ohana now because of me. They all take really good care of her and invite her over to dinner all the time and stuff.”

Steve swiped a hand across his eyes, and it was only years of self-imposed training that kept Danny from crying as well. “You’re absolutely right about that,” Steve said, clearing his throat. “I’m guessing that one over there is Uncle Max and Aunt Sabrina?”

Brandon nodded enthusiastically. “They’re taking a picture of a zebra to send me.” He pointed at the picture next to it. “That’s Uncle Jerry and Aunt Mila, though if she breaks up with him then I’ll turn her into an alien so Uncle Jerry will still have someone to keep him company. Next to them is Uncle Kamekona and Uncle Flippa and Nahele eating shrimp at the truck, then Aunt Catherine and Uncle Billy, and over here is Uncle Duke and Pua and Noelani and Fong. If I missed any of the other police station people, this is where I’ll put them. And if we get new people, I can just put on more squares.” He turned to look at them both, beaming as he threw his arms out wide. “I was lucky enough to get to choose my family, which means I can make it be as big as I want.”

Eyes stinging enough to seriously threaten the “no tears” rule, Danny took in the joy and determination radiating out of his son’s face. Then he looked over at Steve, who’d changed Danny’s life all those years ago with his tendency to claim anyone who wandered into his circle of protection. Then there was Danny, who held onto everyone he loved with a death grip.

Like fathers, like son.

Danny swallowed the lump in his throat, meeting Steve’s eyes. “We’ve got some time,” he said quietly. When Steve nodded, understanding everything he wasn’t saying, he turned to Brandon. “Need some help?”

Brandon smiled even bigger than before, throwing his arms around Danny’s neck. Then he got them both crayons, and both Steve and Danny started coloring.

**Author's Note:**

> Come check out my [original fiction,](https://jennifferwardell.wixsite.com/mybooks) my [blog,](http://jennifferwardell.blogspot.com) or say hi to me on [Tumblr](http://sanctuaryforalluniverses.tumblr.com)!


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